FIS Ski World Cup Val Gardena — Saslong Classic (start in Selva)

The Alpine Ski World Cup on the Saslong

The FIS Ski World Cup Val Gardena, known as the Saslong Classic, is one of the most anticipated and prestigious stages on the men's Alpine Ski World Cup circuit. Every year, in the week before Christmas, the world's best downhillers and Super-G specialists compete on the legendary Saslong slope, in the heart of the South Tyrolean Dolomites.

The course starts at Ciampinoi, at an altitude of 2,249 meters above the municipality of Selva di Val Gardena/Wolkenstein in Gröden, and descends to the finish line in Santa Cristina. Designed in 1969, the Saslong measures approximately 3,446 meters in its downhill version, with a vertical drop of 839 meters and a maximum gradient of 56.9%. It is world-famous for its technical and spectacular sections.

The Camel Humps and legendary stretches

The spectacular heart of the slope is the famous "Camel Humps" (Kamelbuckel), where athletes perform jumps spanning dozens of meters: the record belongs to the Austrian Michael Walchhofer, with 88 meters in 2003. The Saslong is also made challenging by the undulating Ciaslat section, with its seventeen humps, and the Sochers and Moro jumps, which test the technique and courage of downhillers reaching speeds of over 120 km/h.

Selva di Val Gardena, between sport and tradition

While the races take place on the Saslong slope, the municipality of Selva di Val Gardena is also a protagonist off the track: here, as in Ortisei, the public bib draw and award ceremonies take place, enlivened by music, live entertainment, and the chance to meet the champions up close. During World Cup week, the entire valley transforms with parties and events spread across the three Ladin villages of Selva, Santa Cristina, and Ortisei.

A symbolic event of South Tyrol

The Saslong Classic is much more than a race: it is a sporting tradition that has linked Val Gardena to the history of the World Cup since 1969. The downhill has been run continuously on the Saslong for over half a century, joined over the years by the Super-G. The event attracts tens of thousands of fans and represents one of the jewels of winter sports in Trentino-South Tyrol, combining the adrenaline of speed with the beauty of the Dolomite landscape.

• Where: Saslong slope, start at Ciampinoi above Selva di Val Gardena, finish in Santa Cristina
• Disciplines: Men's World Cup Super-G and downhill
• When: December, in the week before Christmas
• Organization: Saslong Classic Club - Gardena/Gröden